Ian Gelder has tragically passed away at the age of 74, his husband and fellow actor has confirmed.
The Game of Thrones and Torchwood actor had a successful career spanning five decades in both theatre and television.
He played Kevan Lannister in the hit show, starting in 2011 and coming back or the fifth and sixth seasons. In all he appeared in 12 episodes.
Ben Daniels shared the heartbreaking news, stating: “It is with huge huge sadness and a heavy heart broken into a million pieces that I’m leaving this post to announce the passing of my darling husband and life partner Ian Gelder.”
He revealed that Gelder was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December and sadly passed away on Monday (May 6) at 1.07pm. Daniels had taken a break from work to care for him, but neither anticipated how quickly things would progress.
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He described Gelder as his “Ian was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December and yesterday he passed at 1.07pm. I’d stopped all work to be his carer but neither of us had any idea that it would all be so fast. He was my absolute rock and we’d been partners for more than 30 years.”, reports the Mirror.
Daniels continued: “If we weren’t together we spoke to each other everyday. He was the kindest, most generous spirited and loving human being. He was a wonderful wonderful actor and everyone who worked with him was touched by his heart and light.”
Expressing his grief, he added: “I honestly don’t know what I’ll do without him by my side. He coped with his dreadful illness with such bravery, with no self pity. Ever.
(Image: No credit)
He was remarkable and will be so missed. This pic was taken at Christmas time after I’d got him out of hospital and even though he’d gone through the worst three weeks there you can still see his joy and love shining through.” He concluded his heartfelt post by stating: “Rest well my sweet Chianni. Xxxx”. Among his notable roles, he played Mr Dekker in Torchwood: Children of Earth and made guest appearances in the BBC TV series His Dark Materials and Doctor Who in 2020.
(Image: No credit)
After Ben’s announcement on social media, fans and friends showered him with messages of condolence. One user wrote: “A beautiful, talented, witty man with a big heart and a gentle soul.” Another shared: “My deepest condolences Ben. Sending you all my love and support. Ian was an icon to so many of us and he will be so dearly missed.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
